But he is not the only one buying up racehorses. They are becoming celebs’ top luxury item. Here JAMES MOORE looks at the runners and riders making nags hip.

MICHAEL OWEN: The former England ace runs his own stables with around 100 horses. His own horse Brown Panther won the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot in June last year. The 32-year-old star says: “I don’t get nervous playing football because I can do something about it. Racing, you’re just in the lap of the Gods.”

ANT & DEC: The telly pair, both 36, own a share in a racehorse called Primeval which notched up a couple of impressive victories in 2011.

JAMES NESBITT: The 47-year-old telly fave owns a share of Riverside Theatre, named after the place where the Cold Feet star made his acting debut. The horse has taken part at the Cheltenham Festival and Jimmy says:

“There’s a magnificent spirit within racing and I feel part of it. I love acting but the buzz you get from having a runner I’ve never got from acting.”

ANDREW FLINTOFF: The cricketing hero’s horse Flintoff, which has appeared at the Grand National, is owned jointly by the Ashes winner and his friend Paul Beck who gave him a 50% share as a wedding gift. The 34-year-old admits that he is no expert. He says: “The finer things of horse racing I don’t know a great deal about. However, I enjoy the event and I enjoy the day out.”

SIR ALEX FERGUSON: Another footballing fan of the races, the Man Utd boss, 70, has owned a string of race-winning horses, including Rock Of Gibraltar and What A Friend which performed well in last year’s Gold Cup and took part in the Grand National.

LIZ HURLEY: The actress, 46, part-owns a horse called Census as part of the Highclere Racing syndicate which scooped some notable victories last year.

SIMON COWELL: The showbiz king, 52, is used to picking winners on TV but he has part-owned turf winners too. His horse Motivator won the 2005 Epsom Derby.

KATE PRICE: The former model, 33, has always been a horse lover and has even brought out her own range of accessories called KP Equestrian. She has taken part in dressage events and has even talked about competing in the Olympics.